Our Story

Scout

Captain

Jett

Piper Cub

Charleigh

Co-Pilot

Joey

Piper Cub

Holly

Life Time Heavenly First Class Flyer

How did The Flight Crew Dock Diving Club come about?

It all happened because of a little “oops-litter” chocolate lab, Scout, from Altadena, California. We had big plans for her to be a therapy dog. She had other plans to take us on a journey both physically, emotionally and spiritually that we could never have imagined. It was Scout who lead us down the dock diving rabbit hole and in doing so brought us endless hours of joy during a time when Lisa was battling breast cancer. After our first dock diving event, where we met Coach Vit, Lisa said to John on the way home in the car, “I didn’t think once today about having cancer.” John quickly responded, “We’re going back.” And go back we did! With our pack of one, we began the The Flight Crew. Over the years, we added a water-crazy, yellow lab named Charleigh, and two Italian Greyhounds, Jett and Joey, who we lovingly refer to as “Thing 1" and “Thing 2.” Holly, our “Lifetime First Class Flyer” and senior dog has always been a part of our shenanigans, but never had any ambitions whatsoever to catch a frisbee, or a bumper. However, she has always been quite adept at catching a nap. We are a Motley Crew, but a crew we are!

Eventually, we extended our love of jumping our dogs into a desire to build a community where like-minded people could come together to enjoy this crazy sport, but to also build social ties that could last a lifetime. Thus, the Flight Crew Dock Diving Club was born. We have always said that building this club has been a labor of love. It is our hope that anyone who comes to jump with The Flight Crew feels this love, and equally feels “played out” (like you did as a child) when they leave our events.

We have woven pink into our logo, Admin tent and merchandise as a continuous tribute to breast cancer awareness, and to our all female pack. As Lisa always says to Jett when she executes an 8 foot jump off of the dock, "You were fierce girlie...just fierce!" It is our goal to keep The Flight Crew Dock Diving Club fierce, yet loving; proud, but humble, and a whole ton (or two) of FUN!!

Our Team

Lisa Colorado - "Ground Crew & Mission Control"

"Life is never boring!" is a phrase that I often hear myself saying, whether it applies to teaching a 2nd grader how to read, helping a young adult to manage their anxiety of living alone for the first time, or holding a family counseling session when an aging parent moves into their adult child's home. My life is full. Over the past several years, this phrase has expanded to include endless hours spent traveling across state lines to attend various dock diving events, trekking all over Los Angeles to find a heated pool so Joey can learn to swim, and branching out into running Fast CAT with Jett, where you’ll find me in the "catch zone”. Starting The Flight Crew Dock Diving Club in 2021 has only furthered my love of life. To say that I am blessed to have this opportunity to interface with so many wonderful people, doing something that I truly enjoy, is an understatement. So, if you see me at any dog sporting event, please come and chat for a while. I'd love to meet you!

"It's the friends we meet along the way that help us appreciate the journey."

John Colorado - "Ground Crew & In-Flight Entertainment"

Yes, it is true that I dance a lot at our dock diving events, but you have to understand that it's hard for me to stand still when "Fly Me to the Moon" or Pharrell's song, "Happy," is playing, and my dogs are flying through the air, and I'm surrounded by such wonderful people and an amazing Crew! I also have a musical theater background so that plays into this "dancing business" a bit.

I've always been the type of person that can build things. So, if you give me a roll of duck tape, some cardboard and a hammer, I can build you a boat, a make-shift Elizabethan dog collar, or a carousel. That's why I'm thoroughly enjoying this process of "growing" our little dock diving club. It's a fun challenge to develop a theme for an event, implement our ideas, and finally execute them into a final product. It is my greatest desire for our club to build a sense of community so that each and every one of you feels that The Flight Crew Dock Diving Club is YOUR club!

Coach Vit Kruml - “Head Traffic Controller & AAGG (All-Around Great Guy)"

I started in the sport of dock diving 17 years ago with my Australian Shepherd, Rudy, after seeing a Splash Dogs event at the Pet Expo in Orange County. I was hooked! I was fortunate enough to be able to put a pool in my backyard and that’s how my business, Learning to Fly, began. I have worked as both a judge and an announcer with Splash Dogs, the Super Retriever Series, NADD and American Diving Dogs. I soon found out that I have a knack for training and coaching, and I truly enjoy it. It’s been a pleasure to join The Flight Crew Dock Diving Club. For me, it has always been about having fun with my dogs and yours. At the end of the day, it’s just a dog jumping off of a dock!

Kathy Simons - "Flight Engineer & Lisa's Wing Wo(man)"

I have had animals in my life pretty much the entire time - dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish, rabbits, chickens, hamsters, snakes…you name it. My mother used to say that she wouldn’t be surprised if I ran off to join the circus because I spent so much time teaching my dogs silly tricks. Turns out Mom was right – I DID join the circus (in the BEST possible way) when I became part of The Flight Crew!! 😍 I first got involved with dog sports through agility in the late 90’s, and expanded into herding a few years later. Since losing my last horse in 2018, I was left with quite a bit of time on my hands, so I branched out into all kinds of other sports – barn hunt, NASDA, Fast CAT, scent work, rally, and, of course, dock diving. In a relatively short time, I have been lucky enough to jump my dogs with several different organizations, and the one thing I have learned from those experiences is that, if it isn’t fun, what’s the point? I am thrilled to be associated with a fantastic group of people whose only goals are to make sure *everyone* is having fun & enjoying time spent with good people and the dogs they love. 💖

Alan Cherry - "Asst. Traffic Controller & Captain's Log Manager"

I've just recently retired after 38 years of HVAC work making people hot, cold, or indifferent. I've enjoyed having dogs in my family in the past, though currently I just own a pretentious cat. The only dogs I have had lately are between a bun and covered with chili, cheese, and onions. Since all dogs go to heaven, I figured judging them would improve my chances by association. The fact that working with the folks of The Flight Crew is such a pleasure just makes this venture a pleasant bonus!

Gabie Landingham - "Senior Flight Attendant & Minion First Class"

How did I end up with The Flight Crew?

For the Love of Animals

For the Love of People

For the Love I have for John and Lisa

Sandy Knapp - "Flight Information Systems & The Flight Crew's Sweetheart"

I have worked for 25 years as a pharmacist in a hospital setting. I have always loved dogs and I have had many boxers, but I didn't know anything about dog sports until I met Vit. He opened up my eyes to the world of dock jumping. What a wonderful new world it is! It's so enjoyable to see the dogs have so much fun. The best part has been the wonderful new people and friends that I have met.

Christina Li - "Flight Attendant & Go-To Girl"

I am a busy body who enjoys helping others and playing with dogs! By day, I am a handler who educates others about exotic animals. On my time off, I am an active member of the dog sporting community. Please make sure to say, "Hello!" next time you see me and my Beauceron, Hennessy.

Valerie Forker - "Sponsorship Liason & Our Unflappable Molly Brown"

I am blessed to take care of my son, Jeff, full-time since his brain injury 18 years ago. I started training my pups to be service dogs in 2019. I was lucky to hear about dock diving through some wonderful friends. It has become a passion for my family. I love seeing the fun and joy of the sport through my son's and my dog's eyes.

Gina Burroughs Haynes (Pre-Flight Inspector) and Bob Haynes (Post- Flight Inspector)

I started my journey into dog sports in 1998, when a friend introduced me to agility. When my husband passed in 2003, I went all in with agility with my cattle dog Buster, and started working at the trials as well. In 2012, I met Bob, and thank God, he shares the same love for dogs that I do! He too started working at the agility trials until 2020 when everything came to a screeching halt. It was actually a blessing in disguise, as it allowed us the time to explore some new dog sports. We also have a passion for western reenactment, and enjoy going to Calico, Lone Pine and Randsburg for some good ole western shootouts. Last year, Kathy Simons introduced me to dock diving, and our girl Currie LOVES it! It was also through Kathy that we met this amazing group, The Flight Crew! I love the fact that they are all about the dogs and having fun. The atmosphere and people that attend these events are nothing short of wonderful, so you can imagine the smile on my face when Bob and I were offered the opportunity to become part of the crew! Of course, we were All Aboard!!